Quality of life issues in cancer of the oral cavity.

Quality of life issues in head and neck cancer have been portrayed increasingly in the medical literature in recent decades. Reports vary in sample size and study design but the majority are cross-sectional and suffer from inherent bias. Many of the patients' complaints in cancer of the head and neck manifest close linkage to problems related to the oral cavity. Frequent specific problems are trismus, pain, xerostomia, and speech and swallowing disorders. Although quality of life is multifactorial and subjective, some improvement may be achieved by recognizing and addressing problems during the course of treatment. More longitudinal long-term studies are indicated in order to better define quality of life along the time axis.